Celebrating Our Principals | Setting the Tone for Excellence
Free 24/7 Online Tutoring for TTUSD Families
Support Systems
Teen Substance Use | A Parent Town Hall
Screentime & Digital Tool Transparency | Finding Balance
Summer Facility Upgrades & Wildfire Safety
Celebrating Farm to School Month | Fresh Food, Local Roots, and National Recognition
Wellness Today | Hope Squad Family Resources
Community Connections
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month | Unidos, Somos Más
Your Input Shapes Our Future | Take the TTUSD Strategic Plan Refresh Survey!
Upcoming Important Dates
A Message from Superintendent Kramer
Dear TTUSD Families,
As autumn settles across our mountain communities, our classrooms are buzzing with purpose, curiosity, and momentum. It is inspiring to see our students and staff diving deep into learning every day.
Last month, I shared our renewed district vision and our commitment to refreshing our Strategic Plan. That journey is officially underway! We recently hosted our very first Strategic Plan Task Force meeting, bringing together nearly 60 teachers, staff, parents, and community partners.
Our task force began by examining our current priorities and baseline data. But numbers only tell part of the story—the heart of this work is the lived experience of our families.
That is why we need your voice.
Our 2026 District Strategic Plan Refresh Survey is open through Tuesday, November 3. This brief, 10-minute confidential survey is your opportunity to tell us what is working and where we can grow. In November, our task force will analyze your feedback to directly shape our 5-year strategic roadmap.
We are listening, and your perspective matters. You can learn more later in this newsletter or take the survey now atbit.ly/TTUSDFamily2026.
Thank you for your partnership in making TTUSD a place where every student thrives.
Sincerely,
Kerstin Kramer
Superintendent Chief Learning Officer
Academic Achievement
The Faces Behind Measure AA
Local Support for Students & Teachers
Ever wonder what parcel tax funding looks like in our schools? Across TTUSD, Measure AA directly funds 40 teacher positions, with every voter-approved dollar staying 100% local. As a reminder for families, Measure AA will appear on the upcoming November ballot as Measure P.
To ensure funds are spent responsibly, our Citizens’ Oversight Committee meets regularly throughout the year. At their October 13 meeting, Truckee High School shared an inside look at the learning made possible by this funding.
Advanced Academics & Technology
Mike Mazzie teaches both AP European History and AP Computer Science, both funded by Measure AA. As he shared, "Students develop their reading, writing, critical thinking, and speaking skills, all crucial for success in any aspect of work and college life." His coding students also gain the foundational skills behind modern Artificial Intelligence.
Hands-On Career Training
In our Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways, Measure AA funds specialized instruction for real-world careers. Emergency Medical Response and Fire Science teacher Trent Kirschner explained, "I could not run the Emergency Response CTE Pathway without being able to offer hands-on trainings, like hose and ladder management while wearing firefighter structure PPE." In Culinary Arts, teacher Dana Frank shared how students build lifelong skills like teamwork, problem-solving and adaptability in the kitchen.
As Principal Neuberger noted, Truckee High simply could not offer this breadth of high-level classes without Measure AA. Thank you to our Citizens' Oversight Committee members for their continued dedication and community stewardship!
At the October 7 Board Meeting, Kings Beach Elementary (KBE) Principal Sarah DiPrinzio and her team shared how reimagining family partnerships is boosting student success!
KBE teachers kicked off the school year by making 289 personal phone calls to welcome families, share their excitement, and ask about parents’ hopes and dreams for their children. By recognizing parents as true experts on their children, KBE is turning families into instructional allies—a partnership that research shows directly drives student achievement.
The payoff of these calls was immediate! KBE saw record-breaking attendance at Back to School Night with standing-room crowds and active two-way conversations in every room. To provide a practical takeaway, KBE shared conversation cards with open-ended questions to help parents learn about their child's day. Just like students practice new skills in class, parents partnered up during the event to practice using the cards together so they felt confident using them at home.
KBE is keeping that momentum going all year long with fun bi-monthly events like pumpkin decorating, spring garden days, and picnics to give families space to connect, ask questions, and build community. Recess also got a vibrant upgrade with high-energy enrichment options, including hands-on STEM experiments, musical jam sessions, and intramural sports.
October is National Principals Month and includes Week of the School Administrator, giving us the perfect opportunity to honor the leaders at the heart of our school communities.
Our principals and assistant principals set the daily tone across our campuses. Through their collaborative leadership, they cultivate positive school cultures, champion high academic standards, and ensure every student and staff member feels supported, safe, and valued.
That exceptional leadership was recently highlighted on the national stage. In the newly released 2027 Niche rankings, TTUSD was named the #1 Best Place to Teach in California and #1 in America! Outstanding work environments don't happen by accident—they are built day in and day out by site leaders who listen, support our educators, and create spaces where both teachers and students thrive.
From early morning bus drop-offs to evening school events, our administrators pour heart and dedication into every decision. Please join us in thanking your school’s leadership teams this month for their unwavering commitment to our kids and community!
Free 24/7 Online Tutoring for TTUSD Families
Looking for extra homework support at home? The California State Library launched a free tutoring resource: HomeworkCA.
Families can connect with qualified tutors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—with no library card required.
Live, Real-Person Support: Students work one-on-one with verified human tutors across a wide range of subjects.
Multilingual: Live help is currently offered in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese with more languages coming soon.
Safe & Easy to Use: The platform meets strict CA Student Data Privacy standards and includes interactive whiteboards, drop-off writing reviews, and math tools.
To get started, visitHomeworkCA.com, choose your county and local library from the dropdown menus, and select "Connect now."
Parents & caregivers: bring your questions. We’re ready to have the conversation.
Join our school community for an open, practical conversation about teen substance use with trusted local school, health and public safety professionals.
Monday, November 2, 2026
6:00–7:00 PM
North Tahoe High School Auditorium - 2945 Polaris Road, Tahoe City
Tuesday, November 17, 2026
6:00–7:00 PM
Truckee High School Auditorium - 11725 Donner Pass Road, Truckee
We’ll talk about what local professionals are seeing among teens — and what parents and caregivers can actually do.
Topics will include:
Alcohol, cannabis, nicotine/vaping, opioids and other substances
Parties, sleepovers, driving and other situations families are navigating
Monitoring and reducing access at home
Setting boundaries while keeping communication open
Warning signs and when to seek additional support
Local prevention, treatment and recovery resources
Community resources will be available. Spanish interpretation will be available. Free and open to all Truckee/Tahoe families.
Screentime & Digital Tool Transparency
Finding Balance
In today’s digital world, we know families want clarity on how technology is used during the school day. Our goal isn’t simply more or less screen time—it’s purposeful learning. To give you visibility into our classrooms, we created theScreentime Dashboard and ourTech Tips for Families resource page, offering an open look at student usage data alongside practical tips for healthy tech habits at home.
Our commitment to thoughtful technology use was also featured nationally in District Administration, where our Chief Technology Officer, Edward Hilton, published an op-ed titled,“A parent wanted screens out of his child’s school. Here’s what I told him.” In the article, he reflects on the balance between hands-on classroom teaching, purposeful digital tools, and answering the questions families care about most.
While students and staff were enjoying summer break, our Facilities and Maintenance teams were hard at work completing the campus upgrades we previewed last spring.
Our top priority this year was wildfire safety and fuels reduction—a critical focus across our mountain communities. A major highlight was welcoming back our partners at the California Conservation Corps (CCC), continuing a valuable collaboration that dates back to our Proposition 39 energy projects. Over four weeks this summer, a dedicated 11-person CCC crew worked alongside our TTUSD team at no cost to the district, saving valuable taxpayer dollars while making a visible impact on campus safety.
Together, crews completed extensive defensible space clearing and brush thinning at Donner Trail Elementary (DTE), in addition to proactive fuels reduction across Truckee Elementary (TES), Glenshire Elementary (GES), and the Rideout/Outdoor Learning School site on the West Shore.
Alongside forest health, our teams worked hard on key campus projects to prepare for the return of our students and staff. Highlights included roofing projects at Donner Trail, Truckee Elementary, Rideout, and SELS, installing new pavement at the Donner Trail playground, t, upgrading the heating (HVAC) controls at Alder Creek Middle School, painting Sierra High School, and adding a security fence at Tahoe Lake Elementary.
Thank you to our dedicated facilities teams and community partners for keeping our campuses safe, resilient, and welcoming for our students!
Celebrating Farm to School Month
Fresh Food, Local Roots, and National Recognition
October is National Farm to School Month, and across TTUSD, we see the benefits on our students’ trays every day. By partnering directly with regional farmers and ranchers—as well as local allies like the Tahoe Food Hub—our Food & Nutrition Services team brings wholesome, organic and seasonal ingredients straight from farm fields into our school kitchens.
This deep commitment to farm-fresh, scratch-cooked meals is exactly what helped TTUSD achieve the prestigious Eat Real Certified Gold Tier—a distinction earned by only three school districts in the entire country. That farm-to-school philosophy touches everything we serve, from crisp, colorful produce on our newly donated Chef Ann Foundation salad bars to daily free breakfast, where students enjoy scratch-made favorites like whole grain muffins baked in-house using seasonal local fruit.
Curious to see this connection in action? Take a couple of minutes to watch our “Sprout to Spoon” video to follow the journey local produce takes from nearby farms straight into our cafeterias. We also invite you to explore our seasonal breakfast and lunch options anytime on our Food and Nutrition Services page. Next time you see a member of our Food & Nutrition Services team, please join us in thanking them for nourishing our students with real, delicious food that powers their school day!
Wellness Today | Hope Squad Family Resources
Community Connections
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
Unidos, Somos Más
In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15), TTUSD proudly joined the nation in celebrating the rich culture, history, and contributions of Hispanic Americans under this year’s theme, “Unidos, Somos Más” (Together, We Are More).
Our schools bring this theme to life through student leadership and community connections at every grade level. Recently, 45 7th and 8th grade boys from Alder Creek Middle School’s Latinos Unidos club hiked to the summit of Donner Peak, building brotherhood while taking in sweeping views of Donner Lake. That same spirit of empowerment carried to High School, where members of the student-led La Raza club visited the University of Nevada, Reno on October 14. Students toured campus, explored residence and dining halls, and connected with diverse academic pathways—from engineering and medicine to business and the arts—to envision their futures beyond graduation.
Beyond our student clubs, parent groups like our District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC) and school-site ELACs partner with us year-round. From providing thoughtful guidance to hosting cherished cultural traditions like Kermes and Día del Niño, these partnerships ensure that every family feels seen, valued, and welcome at TTUSD.
Your Input Shapes Our Future
Take the TTUSD Strategic Plan Refresh Survey!
There’s still time to make your voice heard in our 2026 Strategic Plan Refresh Survey. As we plan for the future of TTUSD, your confidential feedback will help us identify key district priorities for the next five years.
The survey takes about 10 minutes and closes on Tuesday, November 3rd. Thank you for your participation!
